More parents in Michigan than in 48 other states decided not to vaccinate their children against diseases for non-medical reasons, and this has local doctors and medical organizations concerned.

Immunizations needed by 12-18 months

•Hepitiis B

•Roto virus

•Diptheria, tetenus, pertusus (TDaP)

•Influenza

•Pneumonia

• Polio,

•Measles, mumps and rubella (MMA)

A coalition of Michigan physicians, nurses, educators and health care providers issued a warning at the beginning of this National Immunization Week urging parents to protect their children from infectious diseases by getting them immunized.

Michigan is fourth highest among states with 5.3 percent in exemptions for other than such medical reasons as lack of immunity or serious illnesses in which their health could be compromised. Those reasons could include religious beliefs, concerns there might be a negative effect, lack of finances or not seeing immunizations as a priority.

Oakland County’s exemption rate for other than medical reasons is even higher at 10.3 percent. Macomb County’s is 6.3 percent.

Advertisement

However, Shane Bies, administrator of public health for the Oakland County Health Division, blames the county’s higher exemption rate, at least in part, to the fact that parents don’t always notify schools after they get their children immunized.

To rectify this, Bies said the health division is in the midst of a project to update records to the Michigan Care Improvement Agency. This is a more accurate site where physicians and clinics report immunizations, he said.

Anthony F. Ognjan, D.O., chief of Infectious Diseases for McLaren Macomb, said immunizations are important. This is especially true because only 72 percent of Michigan children and 63 percent of adolescents are fully immunized. The rest are missing at least one critical vaccination.

Michigan has not had the outbreak of measles California has had. But there has been an outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) in Michigan, state health officials have stated.

A child who attends Lowry Early Childhood Center at Oakland University came down with whooping cough earlier this month. In this case, the child had been fully immunized so the case was mild.

As is the center’s protocol, the child’s parents notified the center, which notified all other parents, said Associate Professor Julie Ricks-Doneen, director. She has heard of no other children at the center to have contracted the illness.

“Ensuring the whole family is immunized is important not only for their own health, but for the health and well-being of infants in Michigan as well,” said Karen B. Mitchell, M.D. She is program director for the Providence Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program in Southfield.

Whole family immunization is especially important for infants. They are not fully immunized until after they finish a series of inoculations at 12 months. The disease can be life threatening until then.

The coalition issuing the warning includes the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians, Michigan State Medical Society, Michigan Osteopathic Association, Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Michigan Association of School Nurses, the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, the School Community Health Alliance of Michigan and the Michigan Association of Health.